Circuit control means



June 17, 1941. J. F. LINDBERG. 2,245,596

CIRCUIT CONTROL MEANS Filed. March 7, 1958 c/ohw f7 lwoszea.

Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUIT CONTROL MEANS John F. Lindberg, Chicago, 111. Application March 7, 1938, Serial No. 194,388

7 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to circuit the control of auxiliary devices.

A further object of the herein vention is to provide a small relay of improved the herein described type which may be opersubstantially constant or constant adjusted to value. g

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved relay construction in which the opwhere the voltage is vary the speed to a desired nent magnet.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, I utilize a. mercury type switch having a'stationary contact and a movable contact, t e movable contact carrying an armature whereupon the switch contacts move to open position and the electromagnetic means is deenergized. The action of gravity or the spring, as the case position where it will influence the contacts and again close them.

gravity is depended upon for biasing the movement of the magnet in one direction, an eccentric counter-balance for the magnet is provided which can be shifted so as to vary its effective weight and consequently the speed of movement of the magnet due to the action of gravity.

high resistance and the other of low resistance. More specifically, the main coil is of relatively lower resistance than the auxiliary differentially connected relative to resistance.

Other objects andfeatures of the invention will more fully appear from the following dedescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates several embodiments thereof, and in which:

illustrating one form of my invention, and

. impulses to a utilization circuit;

may be, then returns the magnet to a Figure 1 is an elevational view diagrammatical- --field piece in a manner reaches this position.

response to the movement of the rotative element of the electromagnetic means;

Figure 4 illustrates a slightly difierent arrangement for biasing means for moving the rotative element of the electromagnetic means in one direction; and.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the details of my improved means for effecting small variations in the operating speed of the device.

As shown-on the drawing:

As shown in Figure l, the'driving mechanism of my relay comprises afsmall electric .motor which embodies a conventional magnetic structure; The magnetic structure comprises a stator or field piece generally indicated at It. This field piece is composed of a plurality of U-shaped laminations of magnetic sheet metal such as silicon steel which may. be secured together in any suitable manner. The open end of the field piece defines spaced poles H and I! which are cooperatively associated with a rotor element It in the form of a bar which forms an armature piece for the field piece. This bar in one position is adapted to extend between the pole pieces II and i2 and complete the magnet circuit of the well understood in the art.

The rotor i3 is provided with a driving shaft M which is mounted in suitable bearings and'has affixed thereto a non-magnetic disk l5. Carried by the disk I5 is a small horseshoe magnet l6 which is secured to the disk in spaced relation to the shaft is with its magnetic poles disposed adjacent the periphery of the disk. The magnet may be secured in any suitable manner, but in the present instance I have utilized simply a screw H which extends between the legs of the magnet and threadedly engages the disk.

The magnet i6 is preferably counterbalanced by a circular weight It which is mounted for eccentric movement about a pivot in the form of a screw l9 which secures the weight to the disk on the opposite side of shaft it from the magnet. By so mounting the weight IE, it will be apparent that the weight may be shifted so as adjustably vary its center of weight to move it closer to or farther away from the shaft H or shift the center of weight angularly with reference to the disk l5.

For energizing the field piece, a main coil is provided which may be connected'through conductors 2| and 22 to a suitable source of electrical supply, in this instance a battery 23. If the coil 20 werecontinuousiy energized from the battery, the rotor element l3 would be drawn to a position spanning the poles H and i2 and would remain there. In motors of this type, it is, therefore, necessary to provide some means of interrupting the energizing coil when the rotor In the-present instance I haveutilized a mercury type switch, as generally indicated at 2.

This switch, it will be noted, is connected in one of the conductors'leading to the energizing coil and is mounted adjacent the path of move ment of the magnet l6.

The particular switch which is illustrated in Figure 1 comprises an enclosing envelope 25 of glass having a dished portion 26 at its lowermost end to form a reservoir for a quantity of mercury 21. A stationary contact member 28 makes contact with the mercury 21, and a movable contact 29 is supported for movement into and out of the mercury for closing and opening of the circuit through the switch.

The movable contact of the switch is supported on a coil spring 30 which is arranged to normally bias the movable contact to open position. The contact carries an armature piece 3. is arranged, when disposed in an electric field, to move the movable contact to closed position. Since the switch is mounted adjacent the path of movement of the magnet IE, it will be apparent that the movement of the contact 29 to closed position will be accomplished each time the magnet leis moved near the armature 3|.

The switch is arranged to be actuated in timed relation to the movement of the rotor i3. As shown in Figure 1, when theends of the element 13 are approaching their associated poles ll and II, as shown in dotted lines, the magnet is at such position that it will attract the armature 3| and close the circuit to the coil 20. The poles H and I! are now energized and attract the element l3 to apply rotative forces thereto. This movement of the element l3, however, carries the magnet l6 to such position that the contacts of the switch will be opened under the influence of spring 30, so that instead of the element l3 stopping in a position spanning the poles, it will be free to continue its rotatlve movement under the inertia applied thereto when the poles were magnetized as just described.

With the arrangement just described, the element it will continue to rotate, and each time the magnet it passes the armature 3 l, the switch contacts will be closed. The operation of the switch 24 may be taken advantage of to energize a-utilization circuit which is shown in this instance as comprising a' conductor 32 having a lamp 33 therein. This circuit is connected across conductors 2i and 22 in such manner that the load current of the circuit passes through the contacts of switch 26, but does not pass through the energizing coil of the motor.

As shown in Figure 2,the switch 21 is adjustably supported on legs 3% and 35 of a supporting bracket of non-magnetic material such as brass which is, in turn, supported in any appropriate manner from the magnetic structure of the motor,

More specifically, the envelope 25 of the switch is supported in U-shaped clips 36 and 31 which form a part of a bracket 3!. This bracket is supported by screws 39 which extend through elongate slots 40 at the ends of the arms 35. The screws have nuts 4! threadedly engaging their ends to prevent their removal from the slots ,40. With this arrangeme t, it will be apparent that the bracket 38 may be shifted to bring the switch closer or move it farther away from the path of movement of the magnet I8. Moreover, the switch may be shifted in a direction at right angles to its adjustment in slots 0 simply by moving the envelope of the switch in an axial direction in the clips 36 and 31.

Both of these movements will aflect the speed of rotation of the element It. In the first adiustment, if the swltchls moved farther away from the path of movement of magnet IS, the speed of rotation will be decreased due to a decrease in the magnetic attraction forces between magnet I8 and the armature 3|. In the second adjustment,-if the switch is moved upwardly in its clips, the closing of the switch will be advanced relative to the position of the armature as shown in Figure '1. Conversely. if the switch is lowered from its position as shown in Figure l, the closing of the switch contacts will occur at i a later point in the movement of element 13 and consequently the driving impulse will scribed. 4

creased. I,

While the speed of operation of the relay may becontrolled by adjustment of the position of switch 24 relativeto the path of movement of magnet I, a more accurate and convenient method of controlling the speed will now be de- An auxiliary coil 42 is structure, as shown in ii sure 1. This coil has its ends connected in parallel with coil 20, and.

the coils 20 and 42 tially extending slot 5! in the ring. I With the arrangement just described, the magacting on element |3 would move the disk in such direction asto' carry thepin 49 to its limit abutting spring 44. This action opens the circuit of switch 24 so as to deenergize the motor, whereupon the disk I5 is free to move toure 4.

A modified arrangement is shown in Figure 4 wherein a spring 41, instead of being connected to anadjustable ring as shown in Figure 2, is anchored 'on the bracket 38. Spring-48 in this instance is omitted and spring I2 utilized to return the pin 4! into abutting relation with spring 41'.

placed on the magnetic n this arrangement, the 'energization of Ho plications of the device the motor would cause the pin 49 to move away from spring 41" until the inertia of the rotating The magnet is secured as by screw I! to the free end of arm 54, this arm being pivoted as disclosed at 55 to the pole II. The member 54 the magnet.

Movement of the the switch 24 is biased by a spring 58 which may Figure 5,

This screw is supported by a suitable bracket 66 secured to the magnetic structure it), and a lock nut 61 is provided for the double purpose of securing the ment for compensating for for rotational movement with said rotor, a

, magnet, and means instead of rotate, the leg may be disposed adjacent one of the limits of movement of the magnet and may be utilized either to produce a magnetic drag eflect, or beyond'the normal swing of the magnet the amount of swing or oscillation of the magnet may be variably increased beyond normal an amount depending upon the position of member 63,

As a guide for indicating the adjusted position of member 63, the leg 64 thereof is provided with an integral angularly disposed arm 69 which forms an indicating pointer adapted to traverse a graduated scale Ill on the face of bracket 66.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an improved relay construction which is particularly adapted for furnishing timed impulses to a utilization circuit; which by only slight changes in'construction may be changed from a rotary to oscillatory movement of its control elements;

novel means for controlling the timing of the operation which embodies a novel arrangethe changes in voltage on the energizing windings of the power means for actuating the contacts of the relay; an arrangement in which the load on the utilization circuit passes through the relay contacts but does not affect the energizing winding of the motor mechanism; and which embodies a construction which is inexpensive, emcient, and will operate for long periods of time from an electrical source such as a small battery.

It is, of course, to be understood that although I have described in detail the preferred, as well as several alternate, embodiments of my invention, the invention is not to be thus limited, but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A relay comprising a driving motor having a permanent magnet mounted stationary breaker unit including a pair of contacts disposed adjacent a point inthe path of rotational movement of said magnet, said contacts being actuated to opened and closed positions depending upon the proximity of the field of said for movably adjusting the position of the breaker unit in a' direction towards and away from the rotor while maintaining its angular relation thereto to vary the timed relation of the actuation of said contacts by said magnet, whereby the operation of the relay may be increasedand decreased as to its speed. 2. A relay comprising a driving motor having a stator including a pair of salient field poles and a rotorincluding a soft iron member rotatable in the field between said poles, a permanent magnet mounted for movement with said rotor,'apair of contacts disposed adjacent a point in the path of movement of said magnet, said contacts being actuated to opened and closed positions in response tothe influence of the field of said magnet thereon, a high resistance stator coil,-a low resistance stator coil, said coils being connected diiferentially and in parallel to an of the relay;

by placing the leg 68 I energizing circuit controlled by said contacts, and

means for varying the current through one only on- .the other coil of said coils to vary its effect and control the speed of said motor.

3. In a relay, arotatably mounted element, a magnet carried by said element disposed in spaced relation from its center of rotation, a counterweight pivoted at a point on the other side of said center of rotation, said weight being eccentrically adjustable about 'its pivot to vary its center of weight relative to said magnet, and magnetically responsive contacts disposed in such position as to be influenced by said magnet during its movement.

4. In a circuit control device, a driving motor having a stator and a rotor, said stator including a pair of periodically energized field poles of opposite polarity, said rotor including a soft iron armature rotatable between said poles, a permanent magnet bodily movable by said armature in an arcuate path, an evacuated tube adjacent the path of movement of said magnet containing a pair of contacts, a normally substantially demagnetized soft iron armature in saidtube for actuating said contacts when subjected to and magnetized by the magnetic field of said magnet, and means for adjusting the position of said tube relative to the path of movement of said magnet for varying the speed of said rotor.

5. In a circuit control device, a driving motor having a stator and a rotor, said stator including a pair of periodically energized field poles of opposite polarity, said rotor including a soft iron armature rotatable in one direction onlyby the action of said field poles, a permanent U-shaped magnet movable with said armature in an armate path, an evacuated tube adjacent the path of movement of said magnet containing a pair of contacts, a normally. substantially de-magnetized soft iron armaturein said tube for actuating said contacts when subjected to and magnetized by the magnetic field of said magnet, means opposing movement of said first armature during its movementin said direction, and means for adjusting the position of said tube relative to the path of movement of said'magnet for varying the speed-of said rotor.

6. In a relay, a rotatably mounted element, a magnet carried by said element disposed in spaced relation from'its center of rotation, a swinga'bly mounted weight member on the other side of the said center of rotation adjustable to vary the position of its center ofweight in a direction 'circumferentially of the center of rotation of said element, and magnetically responsivecontacts disposed in such position as to be influenced by said magnet during its movement.

'1. In a relay, a rotatably mounted element, a permanent magnet carried by said element, a weight member carried by said element, means mounting said weight member on the element for adjustable eccentric shifting movementsin directions lying in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of said element, and magnetically responsive contacts disposed in such position as to be infiuenced by the magnet during its movement. A

JOHN F. LINDBERG. 

